Portable light attachable to freight cars



WM/V V/ A 7 TOE/KEY? April 24, 1956 s. s. NICHOLSON EIAL PORTABLE LIGHT ATTACHABLE TO FREIGHT CARS Filed Dec. 27 1951 United States Patent v 2,743,353 PORTABLE LIGHT A'glAACHABLE T0 FREIGHT Application December 27, 1951, Serial No..263,584

2 Claims. (Cl. 240-5215) This invention relates to a detachable or portable light fixture and more particularly to light fixtures designed for use in illuminating the interiors of metal freight cars or the like.

In loading freight cars it has been a customary procedure to use a conventional type light fixture which had to be moved and'positioned at convenient placesseveral times during the loading of a single freight car. It is sometimes exceedingly troublesome for a person loading a freight car to'find an appropriate place for securing a conventional type light fixture which serves'to effectively illuminate the interior of the car, and at the same time to be located where it does not interfere with the loading operation and where it can be easily removed after the freight car is completely loaded.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a portable, attachable and detachable light fixture which can be readily secured at a convenient place by the door of a freight car so that it does not interfere with the loading operation and can be removed with a minimum ofeifort after the car is fully loaded.

Another object is to provide a detachable light fixture which is adapted to be secured to metal freight cars in a three point suspension and in a manner which prevents accidental displacement.

Another object is to provide a portable light fixture having a novel but simple supporting frame and conventional electrical components which may be manufactured with comparative economy and which is durable and efficient in use.

Still another object is the provision of a portable light fixture of novel design especially for use in loading or unloading freight cars which permits the greater portion of the fixture to remain on the outside of the freight car where it does not interfere with said loading or unloading operations.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the detachable light fixture embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the detachable light fixture showing the fixture as employed to illuminate the interior of freight cars; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the light fixture as viewed from the interior of a freight car. 3

Asa preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate a portable light fixture adapted to be applied securely to the outside of a freight car for illuminating the interior of the car. The fixture preferably comprises a metal rod or tubular frame or support member the upper end of which is formed with a curved section 11 adapted to extend or hook over the roof of the car. A strong permanent magnet or 2,743,353 Patented Apr. 24, 1956 gripper element 12 is mounted on the free end of the curved section 11 in a universal joint and is thus adapted to adjust itself to and engage the outer surface of the roof 13 ofv a freight car 14 as seen best in Fig. 2. The other end of the rod 10 is threadedly engaged in a splice box 16.

Opposite the rod 10 and and forming a continuation thereof, the box 16 carries a straight depending hollow tube or lower supportmember17. Adjacent its lowermost end the tube 17 is providedwith an offset spaced and parallel short leg extension 18 terminating in an antiskid cap or friction foot member 19 so that the device may be used inside the car if desired by standing it. upright on the floor and securing the magnet 12 to the wall of the car. The leg extension 18 also carries a permanent magnet 20 connected thereto in a conventional universal joint. The magnet or other suitable gripper element 20 is used for securing the lower end of th e support to the outer metallic side wall 21 of the freight car 14 as shown in Fig. 2.

The splicebox 16 preferably is located substantially midway between the lowerend of the rod 10 and the upper end of the tube 17, and has a horizontally disposed U-shaped tube or bracket member 22 projecting laterally therefrom. The bracket 22 is adapted to extend around the edge of a freight car door opening 23 for engaging the interior car side wall 24 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when the fixture is applied to the outside of the car. A light housing member or element 27 is secured to the freeend of the U-shaped bracket 22 and includes a conventional light bulb guard 28 which encloses the customary light bulb 29. Electric wires 30 extend from the light housing 27, through the U-shaped tube 22, splice box 16 and tube 17 to any suitable source of electric current.

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3 where the fixture is shown as applied to the outside of a freight car, it will be noted that the fixture is actually held in place on the car at three separate gripping points namely, by the magnet 12 holding fast to the roof of the car, by the magnet 20 holding fast to the outer side wall 21 of the car and by the laterally extending tube 22 which engages against the inner side wall 24 of the car thereby preventing any one from pulling the support away from the car accidently. To remove the fixture from the car it is merely necessary to push it toward the door opening 23 so that the magnet 20 slides off the wall of the car into the door opening. The upper magnet 12 may thenbereadily pulled off the roof of the car so that the support is completely free.

For use in wooden freight cars, conventional suction cups may be substituted for the magnets 12, 20.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A portable lighting fixture for a metal freight car, comprising a vertically disposed rod-like support member removably mounted on the outerwall of a freight car, said support member including a curved upper section extending in a direction toward said car for engaging over and against the roof of said car, said support member further including a separate lower tubular section connected to said upper section and terminating in a lower open end for receiving and housing an electrical conductor extending therefrom, a'magnet pivotally mounted on the outer free end of said curved portion for fixedly and removably engaging the roof of said car, an offset foot extension projecting from and depending below the lower terminal end of said tubular section, a second magnet pivotally mounted on said foot extension fixedly and removably engageable with an outer wall of said car, a substantially horizontal U-shaped tubular bracket member rigidly secured to and extending laterally from said support member intermediate its ends and projecting from the exterior of said car through the car door into the car interior to encompass the door frame, said bracket member connecting with the tubular section of said support member for enclosing an extension of said electrical conductor, and a light element secured to the free end of said U- shaped bracket and connected to said conductor for illuminating the interior of said car.

2. A portable lighting fixture fora freight car, comprising a vertically disposed elongated support member removably mounted on the outer wall surface of the car, said support member including a curved upper section extending toward said car and over the roof thereof, said support member further including a lower tubular section connected to said upper section and terminating in a lower open end for receiving and housing an electrical con-r ductor extending therefrom, a gripper memberpivotally mounted on the outer free end of said curved section for removably engaging the roof of said car, a second gripper member pivotally mounted on said lower tubular section for fixedly and removably engaging an outer wall of said car, a substantially horizontal U-shaped tubular bracket member rigidly secured to and extending laterally from said support member intermediate its ends and projecting from the exterior of said car through the car door into the car interior to engage against the interior surface of said car wall for holding said fixture against inadvertent displacement outwardly of said Wall, said bracket member connecting with the tubular section of said support member for enclosing an extension of said electrical conductor, and a light element secured to the free end of said U-shaped bracket member and connected to said conductor for illuminating the interior of said car.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 587,151 Lavercombe July 27, 1897 624,571 Strifler May 9, 1899 1,341,198 Ruple May 25, 1920 [1,405,221 Jenkins Jan. 31, 1922 1,622,057 Senter Mar. 22, 1927 2,538,655 Preston Jan. 16, 1951 V FOREIGN PATENTS 257,703 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1926 924,081 France Mar. 3, 1947 

